Key Points
- Danish aid worker Anja Ringgren Loven shares touching before and after photos. The girl was rescued from the streets after being branded a witch.
- The child, Christiana, underwent eight months of treatment and counselling. She suffered severe abuse before being taken in by the group.
- Loven said the girl is now healthy and strong enough to start school. The group continues helping children accused of witchcraft.
Danish humanitarian Anja Ringgren Loven has shared emotional photos of a young girl she and her team rescued from the streets of Akwa Ibom State. The girl, named Christiana, had been beaten and abandoned after being accused of witchcraft by members of her community. Loven revealed that the child has since recovered and started school after months of medical and emotional support.
In a post shared on her verified Facebook page on Friday, Loven described Christiana’s experience as one of many cases of abuse faced by children wrongly branded as witches in some parts of Nigeria.
She said the child was severely malnourished and traumatised when her organisation found her. Earlier this year, Loven’s team rescued several children from similar cases of witchcraft stigma.
“Christiana was rescued earlier this year. She had to get medical support and therapy to recover from the trauma of being rejected, beaten and abused,” Loven wrote.
Girl’s recovery after eight months of care
According to Loven, Christiana spent eight months receiving medical attention and psychological therapy before she was declared fit to join school. She stressed that street life is brutal and few abandoned children survive without timely help.
Her foundation, Land of Hope, continues to support victims of witchcraft accusations in southern Nigeria, offering food, shelter, education, and emotional rehabilitation. The foundation recently opened a new rehabilitation centre for rescued children.
Wider campaign against child abuse
Loven’s work has gained global attention over the years for exposing the dangers of superstition and child abuse. Her team often collaborates with local authorities to prosecute offenders and rehabilitate survivors. She has repeatedly urged community leaders and parents to end the practice of labelling children as witches.
The Danish activist said Christiana’s story is proof that recovery is possible when love and care replace rejection. She encouraged people to support her organisation’s ongoing campaign to protect vulnerable children across Nigeria.
